Winged
by Hangerlane
Summary: Long standing best friend of Glenn, Janis has always looked out for him, and him for her. They managed to escape Atlanta together and find a group on the outskirts. Janis has always been the light in the world, but how easy will that be with so much darkness? Eventual Daryl/OC. Will follow TV show but take very heavy inspiration from the comic & may deviate from TV timeline.
1. Chapter 1

The Georgia sun was beating down on the rooftop, bouncing off of the metal vents making the area seem even brighter and hotter than it was. Janis shielded her eyes as she looked over the city, or was what once the city she loved.

"Is it gonna be much longer Glenn?" Whining had always been a favourite past time of Janis', Glenn hated it, Janis loved to annoy Glenn.

Shhing came from Glenns direction as he looked at the ground below him.

"I'm sure I heard something" he said, looking through the binoculars hanging around his neck.

"Me dying of boredom."

"Shut up Jay."

"What you seeing Glenn?" T-Dog's voice echoed over the rooftop, louder than Janis' had been, she gave Glenn an annoyed look which he ignored.

"A horse!"

"What?!" Both T-Dog and Janis jumped up, running towards Glenn across the roof.

"A fucking horse! And there's a dude riding it."

Janis couldn't believe what she was seeing. Trotting through the middle of Atlanta City, through broken down cars and dead bodies was a County Sheriff, riding a horse.

"What do we do?" T-Dog was leaning over the roof, attempting to get a better look at the Lone Ranger.

"What can we do? If we go down there we risk all our lives."

"Blondie's right, we ain't 'bout to risk it all for some stupid cop."

"No one asked Merle."

"Ain't no one need to."

"Everybody shut up." Glenn was looking more intently now, focused on the man's path through the city. "Shit...he's gonna meet the group."

The group was what Glenn had been calling the ever increasing gang of Walkers nearing the centre of the city. Every run into the sprawling metropolis they had ventured on, the group had got bigger and bigger, Janis and Glenn had made every effort so far to avoid it.

"We gotta do something." Glenn was running to the very edge of the roof now

"Can't let ya do that." Merle had wandered over, dressed all in black his silver gun gleamed as he twirled it in his hand.

"Merle, shut up." Janis threw him a look which he laughed at, still twirling his gun.

"Jesus Christ." The man had met the horde now, they swarmed on him, making his horse topple, flinging him across the road. The Walkers all crowded around the horse, tearing it open, blood flying everywhere as they ripped its organs out.

Everyone on the roof was silent now, watching the drama below unfold. The man took the opportunity, the Walkers were distracted by the horse. He scrambled under the army tank, abandoned at the side of the road.

"Wha' the fuck is he doin'?" Merle practically shouted, hanging over the side of the building.

"Surviving." Glenn answered, still staring intently at the tank.

A single shot rang through the air, some walkers started to converge on the tank, distracted from the horse by the noise of the gunshot.

"Don't sound like survivin' ta me...sound like he just took tha easy way out."

Glenn was patting his legs, searching all his pockets.

"This?" Janis held out the radio, Glenn grabbed it, practically dropping it on the way to his mouth.

"Hey you. Dumbass."

The whole group waited for a reply. When none came Merle tried to grab the radio from Glenn's hands, he had to run across the side of the roof to keep it. T-Dog held an arm out, bocking Merle from following him. Merle went to push him, his eyes wild as Heather followed Glenn across the rooftop.

"Yeah, you in the tank...Cozy in there?" Glenn adjusted the cap on his head, still watching the tank from his new vantage point on the roof, no movement, discounting the walkers attempts to break in.

Still nothing, Glenn took one more try "Hey, are you alive in there?"

"Hello? Hello?" Glenn practically dropped the radio, quickly bringing it back to his mouth, everyone on the roof was crowded around him, waiting to hear what would crackle through next. Before he replied Glenn looked to Janis who gave him an encouraging look.

"There you are. You had me wondering." Glenn always had a love for being dramatic. Janis was sure it was all the films he watched.

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" The voice came through the radio, panicked.

"Yeah, I can see you." Glenn said, walking over to the very side of the roof, getting a better view. "You're surrounded by Walkers." He paused, again Janis could tell for dramatic effect. "That's the bad news."

"There's good news?" The man on the radio didn't sound hopeful.

"No."

"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned in here."

Merle was holding his hand out, making grabbing motions to Glenn who ignored him.

"Oh man. You should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak-out." T-Dog was smiling and shaking his head while Merle had given up and was now sat down, back against the wall, looking put out.

"Got any advice for me?" The voice came again.

"Yeah, I'd say make a run for it." Glenn was leaning over the side of the roof, stretching as far as he could to check both ways.

"That's it? Make a run for it?"

"My way's not as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here." Glenn gave a nod to the rest of the group which most people reciprocated, with the exception of Merle. "There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down...With me so far?"

"So far." He didn't sound sure at all, but at least he was still listening.

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance...Got ammo?" Glenn was in full swing now, running to the ladder off the side of the roof, hanging from it to get a better view.

"In that duffel bag I dropped out there, and guns."

"Can I get to it?" Janis was in Glenns face, shaking her head before he could move an inch down the ladder.

"Forget the bag, okay? It's not an option." He was smarter than Janis first thought.

"What do you have on you?"

"Hang on..."

"Yeah." His breathy voice came through the radio again.

"Yeah?"

"I've got a Beretta with one clip...15 rounds."

"Make 'em count." Glenn said, shuffling down the ladder as Janis followed him. "Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Have you been listening? You're running out of time." Glenn had no time for pleasantries.

"Right."

Glenn dropped to the roof further down, looking up at Janis he shook his head.

"Stay here, no point scaring him, or getting all three of us killed." she nodded, Glenn ran off, jumping across the roof.

Janis dragged herself back on to the roof, not keen on the idea of spending alone time with Merle.

She dropped herself on the floor next to T-Dog, stretching herself out in the sun.

"Why not come lie down over here Jay?" Merle was rubbing the gravel next to him, raising one eye brow.

"How many times do I gotta tell you to fuck off Dixon?" He chucked hard, pushing himself up to look over the side of the roof.

"Can't fuckin' see nothin'" he said, pacing the roof to see more of the street below.

"Glenn said to wait, he'll be back."

"Don' care what the fuckin' china man said."

"His name is Glenn."

"We should go, ain't no point hangin' round if they're dead." He was hanging over the side of the building again, aiming his gun at walkers and pretending to fire. "Reckon I can hit her from 'ere?"

"Merle don't...what happened to a quick in and out trip?"

"Ya boyfriend ruined that."

"Glenn isn't my boyfriend."

"Then why won't ya give Merle a little sugar huh?"

"Just sit down Dixon." T-Dog was getting tired of him as well.

"Ain't tellin' me wha' ta do." He said, aiming his gun again "Now, how much you got on me getting' a head shot of that slut acorss the road, the one in the short skirt." Janis and T-Dog ignored him, knowing that entertaining him was the worst plan.

That's when he started shooting.

"Merle! Merle stop shooting."

He just laughed, and carried on firing, each shot hitting its target.

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" Andrea called from the door, Glenn and the Sheriff behind her.

Merle turned to them, laughing harder now.

"Oh Jeez." Glenn sighed, looking to Janis who just shook her head.

"Hey! Y'all be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh? Ah! Only common sense." He waved the gun above his head now, gesticulating madly around the roof.

"Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dopg was shouting over Merle who's laughing was just getting louder and louder "And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill." Janis stood behind him trying to back him up without standing in Dixons way.

"Bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day." Merle waved his gun in the direction of Morales standing in the doorway. "Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro.

That'll be the day." his raspy voice echoed around the roof, everyone but T-Dog stood still, trying to guage how badly Merle was reacting.

"That'll be the day"? You got something - you want to tell me?" His chest was practically bumping Merles now.

"Hey, T-Dog man, just leave it." Janis tried to grab his shirt from behind as he proceeded to push against Merle.

"No."

"All right? It ain't worth it." Janis managed to get in between the two, she switched between the two of them , trying to stop the fight. "Now Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble."

"You want to know the day?" There was no stopping him.

"Yeah." Or T-Dog.

"I'll tell you the day, . It's the day I take orders from a nigger."

"Shit" Janis whispered under her breath, anything T-Dog did now was fair game.

Everyone was shouting over each other now, as Dixon launched himself a T-Dog, both of their fists flying as Janis, Glenn and Andrea tried to pull them apart.

Merle had kicked T-Dog to the ground, as he straddled him he aimed his gun at T-Dogs head. His eyes were darting around the roof, daring everyone to step closer "Yeah! All right! We're gonna have ourselves a little pow-wow, huh? Talk about who's in charge...I vote me." No one said a word as he paced the roof "Anybody else, huh? Democracy time y'all. Show of hands, huh? All in favor? Huh? Come on. Let's see 'em. Oh, come on. All in favor? Yeah. That's good."

He was rambling now, his face was getting redder as he danced around the roof.

"Now that means I'm the boss, right? Yeah. Anybody else? Hmm? Anybody?"

"Yeah." The sheriff spoke up, his gun was aimed at Merles head now.

"Who the hell are you, man?! Officer fuckin' friendly?"

"Look here, Merle. Things are different now. There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart." It was a good speech.

"Screw you, man." Merle didn't agree.

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." He was calm, which was goading Merle more.

"Yeah? Well, screw you twice." He practically spat in the officers face.

Janis had officially had enough, walking past Glenn He held out his hand to stop her.

"Where you going?"

"Don't really fancy watching the gun show."

"We're surrounded down there...need a way of getting out. Think of anything?"

"I'll see what I can do." She walked past Andrea, affording her a smile which was reciprocated. She just heard Rick cocking his gun before she closed the roof door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi Guys!

So this is my first fic actually following the timeline of the show. If you look my last fics were pretty much my own story/idea following Merle.

I'm not sure if the way I've started it is working. I'm working heavily from the script which means writing is relatively easy but the story is slow going. I'm going to carry on this way for the next chapter but don't be surprised if Chapter 3 heavily changes in tone/style. I might come back and change these chapters in the future. First chapter ran a little long, but I'll probably be keeping them to the 1000 mark (1500 if you're lucky.)

As it says in the description I'm pretty much going to follow the timeline of the show (I always tried to do so in Kindred/Tethered even though it didn't matter too much). I will however be taking heavy inspiration from the comics as I love them so much! The only thing missing from them (in my opinion) is a couple of Dixons.

I'm a huuuuge sucker for feedback/ideas. Anything you wanna see/think I can do better/whatever is fine to leave in comments etc.

I'm nervous about this being ANOTHER Daryl/OC but it will be in my own style so that means very slow going (as people who have read my other fic know).

Thanks for reading/giving it a chance.

xoxo

Chapter 2

Janis had hardly been downstairs ten minutes when she heard people crashing down after her. Morales, Glenn, Andrea, Jacqui and the Sheriff all came running through the door. She raised her eyebrow at Glenn, noting Merle and T-Dogs absence.

"Rick handcuffed Dixon to the roof, for his own safety." Janis nodded, still worried about leaving T-Dog alone with Merle.

"Rick." The Sheriff said, holding out his hand, Janis took it, smiling at the formal gesture.

"Janis...or Jay. Jay."

"How's that signal?" Glenn said, indicating the radio in Andreas hand.

"Like Dixon's brain Weak."

"Keep trying." Morales said from the door, leaning to try and see a way around the wall of walkers.

"Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Jaqui was still at the bottom of the staircase, arms crossed in defiance. They carried on discussing plans to leave, Glenn walked over to Janis.

"It's up to us to find a way out." Janis nodded, knowing that Glenn meant they had o do whatever they could to escape. Janis and Glenn had been running into the city for weeks, risking their lives multiple times...what was one more?

"Good luck with that." Andrea called from across the room. "These streets ain't safe in this part of town from what I hear."

"The streets ain't safe." Morales chipped in, echoing what Andrea said.

"Now there's an understatement." Rick was standing, hands on his hips, his tongue darting out to wet his lower lip.

"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Jacqui was suddenly alive, opening the door and rushing up, Glenn and Janis following her.

"Oh man..." Glenn said, chasing Jacqui up the stairs.

"Hey, Glenn, check the alley." Rick called from the bottom of the stairs, making his way up to join them.

"You see any manhole covers?"Jacqui called to Glenn who was leaning over the side of the roof now.

"No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are." Glenns voice was practically drowned out with all the Walkers groaning in the streets, gathered more around the building thanks to Merles outburst.

"Maybe not..." Jacqui was leaning over the wall now, pointing at something in the streets "Old building like this built in the '20s Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the sub-basements."

Glenn and Janis looked at Jacqui, mouths open "How do you know all that?" They both said in unison

"It's my job...was. I worked in the city zoning office."

They all ran as one down the stairs, leaving T-Dog confused behind them, Merle still shouting obscenities handcuffed to the roof.

Down on the lower level of the store Janis, Glenn, Rick and Jacqui all stood around a manhole cover in the floor, all of them silent, waiting for the others to say something.

Glenn confirmed it was the only one in the store.

"We've been here a few times, sure we would have seen a huge 'EXIT THIS WAY INCASE OF ZOMBIES' sign." Ricks eyed met Janis' for a second whereas the other two ignored her. "Never needed to go down there before though. First time we bring a group, we're fucked."

"No offense." Glenn added, giving Janis a look she'd seen a thousand times before. "If we need to go down this gnarly hole, fine but only if we do it. Me and Jay."

"It's tight down there." Jacqui warned.

"You calling me fat?" Glenn asked, while Jacqui just shook her head, her face saying better you than me.

"If we run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed, we'll be fine, just the two of us."

"You've got Merle's gun isn't it best if you're at the store, watching the doors?" Rick nodded at Janis, which she took as a good sign.

"You've got your gun right?" Glenn asked, as Janis tapped the weapon in her pocket. "You be my wingman."

"Always."

"Jacqui stays here." Glenn said, pointing to the top of the ladder "Something happens, yell down to us, we'll be up."

"Okay." Jacqui sounded unsure, but happy that she wasn't about to follow Janis and Glenn.

"Okay, everybody knows their jobs." Rick said, nodding at everyone before heading towards the stores.

Down in the sewers Janis kept her gun trained where Glenn was pointing the torch.

"Can't believe they got us into the shit...literally."

"Told you we shouldn't have brought Dixon." Glenn was shaking the torch around, unable to keep it steady as they waded through the water.

"He was the first one to put himself forward. Everyone else just said yes because they felt sorry for us being stuck with...shit!" Glenn almost dropped the flashlight as a rat ran straight infront of him.

"Want me to shoot it?"

"Like you could hit it."

They carried on for another ten minutes, slowly wading through the water, Glenn swinging the light upwards whenever he thought there might be an exit.

"Yeah, we've got ourselves a sewer tunnel. Jacqui was right." Glenn said, shining the torch straight ahead of him, at a set of iron bars, crossed with no access.

"Can we cut through it?" Janis asked, squinting as Glenn moved the torch around the sides of the tunnel

" Yeah If we had a blowtorch and half a day, sure...Dale's hacksaw sure as hell won't do it."

"Great." Janis said, as they turned around making their way back to the store.

"Nothing?" Jacqui asked as they came out of the tunnel, shaking their heads.

"Any other ideas town planner?" Glenn was squeezing out the ends of his jeans, looking disgusted.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The new plan was for Rick and Glenn to distract the walkers. Janis didn't even mind being left out of this one as she smeared Walker guts all over Glenns chest.

"Think you could try to keep it away from my face/" Glenn said, the look of disgust making Janis laugh.

"The worse you smell the safer you are. I'm just trying to save your life man." Janis laughed, as Glenn retched.

"Oh, this is bad...this is really bad." Glenn said, holding his breath between words.

"Think about something else...Puppies and kittens?" Rick suggested, looking close to vomiting himself.

"Yeah...Dead puppies and kittens." T-Dog laughs, making Glenn promptly vomit.

They stood in front of the door that lead the alley. Glenn's face was palid, Janis knew not just from being sick.

"You good?" She asked, trying hard not to breathe in the scent.

"Do I look good?"

"Handsome as always. Stay safe."

"Stay safe." Glenn said, before turning to Rick and nodding meekly.

Janis stood, leg shaking uncontrollably on the roof, trying to catch a glimpse of either Glenn or Rick.

"You come up here to uncuff me sunshine?"

"I think I prefer you cuffed Merle."

"Didn't know ya' was into the kinky stuff..why not come over here 'n show me how rough you like it."

"You couldn't handle me Dixon. Shh...I think I see them."

They'd told Merle the plan, he didn't seem impressed at all.

" That asshole is out on the street with the handcuff keys? " he said while pulling on the cuffs.

He was visibly less impressed when T-Dog dangled the keys in front of his face.

Janis was pacing along the rooftop when she felt the first spot of rain.

"Shit."

They all ran to the roof edge, trying to get a glimpse of the two men. Walkers still pounded the store doors, a huge group of them pressing against the glass, undeterred by the rain. Janis' eyes scanned the roads, while Andrea was looking intently through the binoculars.

"There...there near the construction site." Andrea practically screams.

Janis run towards her, getting a better view of where she's pointing. Without binoculars she can barely see them. Two figures backing away from a huge group of Walkers. Suddenly one of them leaps out, attacking a walker with an axe. The walker falls to the floor as everyone standing on the roof cheers.

The whole group are on the edge of the roof now, minus Merle who is pulling on his cuffs hard, swearing as he does so.

"Come on Glenn..come on." Janis whispers under her breath, watching the two men fight for their life. She recognises Glenn now, following him intently as he scales the fence of the construction site. They both manage to make it over, everyone cheers, T-Dog whoops while punching the air and Janis lets go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. They all continue to watch as Rick shoots at the huge crowd of walkers now gathered at the construction site.

Minutes pass as Glenn is out of site, no doubt searching for the keys. He comes running back to Rick, grabbing him by the shoulder as the both head for the van, Janis finally looking away as the van speeds out of her eyesight.

She immediately heads for the door, nothing but ensure that Glenn is alive on her mind as she practically jumps down the stairs, ignoring the group shouting behind her.

Janis is at the back doors, she could still hear Walkers bashing the shutters and doors as she as she struggles to see through the small glass window. Without any idea how they'll escape she waits, knowing Glenn wouldn't leave them.

The group joined her just as she heard the music. She looked around her as the group met them, they were all peering over the crowd of Walkers, trying to get a glimpse of where the music was coming from. The screech of tires was heard, as the music got louder the walkers started to disperse, distracted by whatever was making all the noise.

Through the new thinning group of Walkers Janis can see a white van, she pushes against the door, shooting one of the walkers in the face as she runs towards the van, jumping in the front before even checking to see who was driving.

Rick looked over at her, shouting for the others to get in.

"I'm in!" T-Dog shouts, slamming the van door behind him. Janis looked behind her, counting heads.

"Where's Merle?" She watched T-Dog who looked tremendously guilty.

"I dropped the damn key."

"Shit." Janis heard Andrea from the back of the van. She stuck her head out the van window, looking at the sea of Walkers they'd left behind them. There was no way of turning back now, it would be certain death for all of them. They'd made too much noise getting away. Bringing her head back in the van the whole group struggled to look at each other, guilt written over everyone's faces, their escape overshadowed by leaving Merle behind.

"Glenn?" Janis asked, looking to Rick who just smiled and nodded at the red sports car speeding down the road ahead of them. They continued to drive, Rick following the red car in front of them, periodically checking his mirror, ensuring his passengers were safe.

Now they had time Janis studied the man more closely, his stubble covered a strong jaw. His body looked weak however, he had obviously not fared well in the past weeks.

"Hey...y'all right?" Janis asked, watching Ricks face drop.

"Merle got left behind..." He faltered, unable to finish his sentence.

"Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back. Except maybe Daryl." Morales said from the back of the van.

"Daryl?" Rick looked at Janis.

"His brother...yeah he's gonna be pissed. You locked the door though T?"

"Course I did."

"I'll go tomorrow...he'll be fine. Stop worrying, you saved all our asses."

Rick didn't stop worrying, Janis could tell by his face, but continued to follow Glenn through the winding roads towards camp.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As soon as they hit camp Janis jumped out of the van, eyes finding Glenn instantaneously. Her feet moved underneath her, as she ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck as he was trying to talk to Amy.

"Hey...hey I'm okay. I'm okay."

Janis didn't say anything, just grabbed him tighter as she could feel the laughter building in his chest, hugging her back as the rest of the group gathered around them.

The van doors opened behind her and she heard everyone jump out of the van. Andrea running straight into Amy's arms as Dale watched on. Morales went straight to his family, being enveloped in hugs and kisses. Janis checked around the group for Daryl, no sight of him, he must still be out hunting.

"You are a welcome sight." Dale said, after hugging Andrea he had wandered over to Janis and Glenn, pulling Janis into a hug as they both laughed "I thought we had lost you folks for sure."

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?" Shane called, fiddling with the cap on his head

"New guy he got us out." Glenn said, looking behind himself to Rick still in the van.

"New guy?" Shane was moving closer now, subconsciously shielding Carl and Lori behind him.

"Yeah, crazy vato just got into town." Morales called over from his family, still embracing, his daughter resting on his hip.

"Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello." Glenn turned to the van, shouting loud enough for Rick to hear.

"The guys a cop...like you." Morales told Shane as Rick emerged from the van.

There was a minutes silence as Rick came in to view. You could feel the tension in the air change as Shane saw him, the looks on both men's faces were of shock.

"Oh my God." Shane, who's eyes were searching Ricks, a look of complete confusion on his face. The silence following his statement caught Carl's attention. He looked up from embracing his Mother, and instantly hit the ground running.

"Dad! Dad!" He was crying and laughing and smiling. His arms caught Ricks neck while Rick lifted him, his eyes on Lori behind Shane.

"Carl." He said finally, burying his head in the boys hair. Lori walked over now, still in shock as she clutched onto Rick.

Janis looked at Glenn who's face wasn't dissimilar to hers. A look of confusion. 'Dad?' She mouthed at Glenn who just shrugged at her.

"I can't believe I've found you...I just can't believe..." Lori was shushing him, her hands running through his hair. Shane stood awkwardly next to them, one hand still fiddling with the cap on his head.

Janis let them have their reunion, knowing how much this must mean.

Dale came up behind her, a huge smile on his face as he watched the embracing family. Carl was laughing louder now as Rick placed the hat in his hand on his head, it slipped over his eyes slightly.

"Man...man I...I don't know what to say." Shane was approaching the three of them properly now, his hand on Rick's shoulder.

"Don't need to say anything brother. You've saved my family, saved them when I couldn't, saved them for me. Thank you."

The four of them looked around now, their bubble of being reunited burst.

"I'm..." Rick started, but Lori stepped in front of him, addressing the group she already knew.

"Everyone...this is my husband, Rick."

"Hi Rick!" Janis shouted, while he laughed behind Lori.

"Man...you shoulda said, I mean 'course you didn't know. How could you? I just...what are the chances?"

"Slim...really, really slim." He said, smiling down at his son.

After much celebration and a little more hugging, Janis retreated to her tent, completely worn out from a full day in Atlanta. Taking of her dirty clothes, Glenn barged in.

"Hey, heard of knocking?"

"Funny."

Janis continued to strip as Glenn sat on his side of the tent, still dressed in clothes that smelt distinctly of Walker.

"You're not gonna change?"

"What are you going to do about Dixon?"

"What can I do? He's handcuffed to a roof Glenn." Janis pulled on a very worn flannel shirt, which was only slightly cleaner than the clothes she'd just taken off.

"Not that Dixon."

"Oh...Daryl. Why's it gotta be me?"

"He likes you."

"That's yet to be proven."

"You talk to him."

"I talk to Ed Peletier, it doesn't mean I like him."

"Janis." She flinched. He never called her Janis.

"Fine...fine, but whoever tells him, it's not gonna be pretty. Merle will be fine anyways. Just a little pissed off."

"Oh yeah, what's better than a methed out, pissed off redeck with easy access to guns."

Later that evening they were all sat around campfires, Janis was sat next to Glenn, hair wet from washing it earlier she relished in the smell of the smoke mixing with the Georgia summer air.

Rick had just finished explaining how he had felt, waking from his coma to find the whole world turned, disorientated and scared was how he described it.

"Mom said you died." Carl said, sat next to his Dad, Sheriff hat still sitting securely on his head.

"She had every reason to believe that." Rick said, looking at Carl, no hint of anger in his voice. "Don't you ever doubt it."

"When things started to get really bad, they told me at the hospital that they were gonna medevac you and the other patients to Atlanta, and it never happened."

"Well, I'm not surprised after Atlanta fell."

"Yeah..." Lori trailed off, still looking lovingly at her husband.

Rick went on to thank Shane, over and over for saving his family, extending the thank you to the group for keeping them safe.

Suddenly Shane was on his feet, marching over to Carol and her husband Ed.

"Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log" Shand stood over Ed, the fire flickering over his face, making it look even more menacing.

"Here we go." Janis whispered, making Glenn laugh. Ed and Shane butted heads on a regular basis. Shane was the group leader, who always knew the best plan of action. He was the one to find this quarry, lead a few people stuck on the highway to it. Ed was stubborn, always thought he knew better and rarely did. They argued for a minute or so, Ed finally giving in and telling Carol to put out the fire.

Shane came back over, a smug look on his face as he sat back down, looking at no one but Lori who wasn't looking too impressed.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind." Dale asked, Janis audibly groaned, Glenn elbowed her in the ribs.

"I said Jay would do It." Andrea and Amy laughed, Janis shot them a look which made them laugh harder.

"No...no I'll tell him." T-Dog raised his hands in defeat "I dropped the key. It's on me."

"I cuffed him. That makes it mine." Rick still felt guilty, Janis could hear it in his voice.

"Guys, it's not a competition. Jay said she would anyway."

"I have a gun Glenn."

They continued to discuss it, which ended in them discussing if Merle could survive the night.

"It's not enough to break through that Not that chain, not that padlock. My point Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us."

Everyone was silent after that, the idea that they'd left one of their group, however volatile, handcuffed to a roof to fend for himself, made everyone feel a little guilty. They all broke away after that. Saying their goodnights. Rick gave Glenn one more thank you and a one armed hug before he went into Lori's tent.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Janis woke to Glenn pulling the zip closed on the tent. Groaning she turned over in her sleeping bag. She had always hated camping, the moisture that had formed on the inside of the tent was dripping down, making the tent feel hotter than it already was. The sun shone brightly through the material of the tent, giving everything in sight a sickly green glow.

Following Glenn out of the tent she stretched in the morning sun. Lifting her arms over her head, T-Dog smiled at her from the back of his car, sorting through supplies. Stretching further, Janis felt her t-shirt ride up over the waistband of her shorts, relishing the feeling of sun on her stomach.

"Mornin' T!" she yanwed

"G'morning missy...you comin' into the city today to get Dixon back." Janis liked T-Dog. He was realistic and always made her laugh.

"That the plan? Is Daryl back?"

"Not yet, still hunting. Even Dale hasn't seen him." Janis nodded, heading over to the RV she saw Carol ringing out Ricks police uniform.

"You eaten?"

"Yeah...there's coffee, it might be cold."

"Sounds good...ya need some help?"

"Just gonna let this dry, I'm fine sweetie."

Janis climbed into the RV, grabbing the now cold pan of coffee, she carefully poured what was left into a mug. Jumping down the last step, standing on her toes she put the coffee on the highest rung of the ladder she could. Climbing past it, being extra careful not to knock it off she got to the roof of the RV. Picking the mug back up she turned to Dale.

"Morning!"

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good? I guess?" Dale laughed, placing the binoculars back over his eyes and scanned the area. "What about you?"

"I got my time."

"Enough?" Dale ignored her "Seen anything?" Janis asked, sitting down next to Dale and taking a sip from her mug. It was cold and bitter and Janis loved it.

"You mean Daryl or Walkers?"

"Either? Both would mean bad news at the moment."

He nodded. They were silent as Dale continued to carefully search the area through his binoculars. They sat there till Janis finished her coffee, asking Dale if he needed anything before she left, he just smiled and shook his head.

Back down on the ground everyone was working hard. Janis got breakfast ready for the people who hadn't eaten yet. If she didn't force him, Glenn wouldn't eat. He'd always make some excuse, to ensure everyone ate before him. Grabbing one of the tins of fruit and a cereal bar she made her way over to Glenn who was admiring his new car.

"Catch." Glenn didn't look up and the can hit him in the stomach.

"She's beautiful." He said, not even reacting to the impact.

"She?"

"Yeah..."

"You know they're gonna rip her apart." Janis said, opening the cereal bar, taking a bite before handing it to Glenn.

"Huh?" He took the bar, taking a bite, still staring wistfully at the dodge challenger.

"It's not practical. It has four seats...barely. No storage room...RV needs new parts, bad on mileage, loud...I could go on."

"But...but..."

Glenn looked at Janis now, she could see real hurt in his eyes, they flickered over all the vehicles in the quarry, landing last on Janis' truck.

"Hey now...don't bring Leonard into this. I can sleep in him, hell, four of us could. He's being used as storage. He pulls his weight." Janis' looked fondly at her beat up Ford Ranger, she'd loved it for years and it had proved the perfect vehicle for surviving an apocalypse.

Glenn ignored her, deciding to take his can of peaches into the red car and eat in there instead.

Janis walked away, leaving Glenn to enjoy the last few hours with his car. She grabbed her and Glenns washing, asking around to see if there was anything else she could take. No one had a lot, most people took care of their own. Popping her head into the Dixon's tent she saw the two sides. Daryl's clothes thrown haphazardly into one corner while Merles were folded neatly in stacks. Grabbing whatever looked dirty, Janis threw them in the bucket and headed to the lake.

Shane was there, his back turned to Janis as she approached the lake. Scrubbing hard at the t-shirt in his hands.

"Morning!" Janis shouted, dropping the clothing to the floor in front of the waters edge.

She saw Shane jump, dropping his t-shirt, swearing loudly as he whipped round.

"Jesus...Janis. You scared the shit outta me."

"Sorry...you okay?"

"Yeah...yeah just wasn't payin' attention."

"Shane not on high alert..that's a new one." Janis studied Shane as he stood, shirtless in the lake. His chest rising and falling quickly as his breathing went back to normal. Shane was always on high alert, he put everyone in the groups safety above his own and treated Carl as his own. Looking at him now, he was unarmed and on his own.

"You said always go to the quarry in pairs."

"Needed a wash."

"Right."

Janis left him to it, wading into the lake just far enough to fill the bucket with water she took it to the edge of the lake. Taking the soap she started to scrub out the stains. Janis was sure she'd become an expert at removing dirt and blood from Jeans now. Every time she finished washing an item she layed it out on the rocks to dry.

While she was doing this Shane still stood in the lake, occasionally making a splash before going back to scrubbing his one t-shirt.

Janis soon finished, letting the clothes dry for ten minutes she sat out in the sun, being careful not to face Shane as he had his mid morning breakdown.

It was only 20 minutes before she heard Shane exiting the lake. Without even saying a word he grabbed her bucket, turning to fill it from the lake and walking off, towards camp, still silent. Checking the clothes, which were mostly dry Janis followed him, joining the camp in time to hear Shane tell Carol to boil the water before usage.

Glenn wandered over to her, a solemn look on his face.

"They rip it apart?" He nodded.

"Completely?"

"All the bits that matter. Rick said I could get a new one."

"I'm sure we will Glenn..." She was cut off by the screams of Sophia and Carl echoing through the camp.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi Guys!

So this is my first Chapter PROPERLY writing Daryl, and of course I'm sure I've completely fucked up..I'll make sure I don't make him completely non-daryl lol.

But stick with me, I'm going to try and write it a lot less serious than TWD tv show, and will soon get my comic back (it has been passed around everyone I know at the moment) so I'll be able to properly refer to that.

If any of y'all have anything you'd like to see I'm sure we can try and fit it in.

Keep commenting, it keeps me young(ish)

Thank you

xoxo

Chapter 6

Janis and Glenn ran towards the sounds, the rest of the camp doing the same. Jacqui ran out infront of them, followed by Carl and Sofia. She nodded at Jacqui who nodded back, signifying that they were all okay, Janis continued past the kids who were being fussed over by their Mothers.

In a small clearing on the side of the woods there was a deer, lying dead on the floor, a Walker kneeling over it, pulling its insides out, devouring them.

"Eugh." Glenn pushed his face into the material of his sleeve, stopping himself from being sick.

Janis quickly spotted the bolts sticking out of the deers hide, knowing that meant Daryl wasn't far behind. The men of the camp quickly converged on the walker, hitting it with their weapons, beating it across its head. Finally ended by Dale decapitated it, they all stood around, just staring.

"It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the Mountain." Dale stood over the walkers body, his face grim. They had been extraordinarily lucky, the rest of the group rarely ventured away from the Quarry, the only time Janis had been in contact with walkers was when she went on runs into the City with Glenn.

"Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what." Janis turned to see Jim standing behind him, looking down at the headless walker.

There was a crack from the woods, as the trees started to rustle everyone in the clearing raised their weapons, Shane first in line to shoot whatever came through the trees.

Darly.

He stood, a dozen squirrels hung over his shoulder, his crossbow hung carelessly at his side, looking as pissed off as ever.

"Son of a bitch." He said, at the sight of the walker and deer on the floor "That's my deer! Look at it.

All gnawed on by this," he was kicking the walker between words "filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard! Calm down, son." And ended it with one last, hard, kick.

"That's not helping." Dale said, trying to calm Daryl down.

"What do you know about it, old man?" It didn't work "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "On Golden Pond". I've been tracking this deer for miles."

Janis looked at the deer, its hide covered in bites, its stomach wide open with its insides hanging out "Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison...What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I would not risk that." Shane stepped in, giving Daryl a wary look.

"That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel About a dozen or so." He said, lifting the line of them off of his back. "That'll have to do."

"Oh God." Andrea almost screamed as the walker head came to life, groaning and trying to snap at their heels.

"Come on, people." Daryl yelled, aiming his crossbow one handedly at the head "What the hell? It's gotta be the brain." He fired, stopping the groaning swiftly.

"Don't y'all know nothing? Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up." He stalked off, ignoring everyone in the clearing, kicking the walkers body once more as he left.

"Ah shit." Janis mumbled. "This ain't gonna be good."

"You think?" Glenn followed Janis as she ran to keep up with everyone.

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane shouted after him, as if that was going to help. If there was one thing Daryl hated it was authority, which Shane radiated.

"About what?" He turned towards them, his eyes meeting Janis' before his attention was back to Shane

"About Merle...There was a There was a problem in Atlanta." Everyone gathered round now, all behind Shane while Daryl stood alone.

"He dead?" The forced calm of Daryls voice was obvious.

"We're not sure."

"He either is or he ain't!" The forced calm was all gone now, as he grabbed his crossbow with both hands.

Quietly Janis moved around the group, putting herself not between Shane and Daryl, but further out, making sure that if needed, Daryl at least had someone to hold him back, she didn't fancy Shane's chances in this fight.

"No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick stepped in now, his voice similar to Shane's, he even mirrored his ex-partners body language, raised palms as if he was in a hostage situation.

"Who are you?" Daryl spat.

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes..." Daryl said his name sarcastically "you got something you want to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal." Short and simple. "He's still there."

"Hold on." His eyes narrowed as he studied the crowd "Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!"

"Yeah."

Daryl threw the line of squirrels at Rick, dropping his crossbow as Shane pounced on him. Janis didn't even bother interferring, if Shane wanted a black eye and bruised ribs she'd leave him to it.

There were grunts and shouts as the two men fought, the rest of the group stood around watching in horror as Rick leaped forward, trying to pull Shane from Daryl.

"You'd best let me go!" Daryl snarled as Rick helped Shane get him to the floor.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't."

"Choke hold's illegal." Daryl grunted from the floor.

"You can file a complaint."

"Come on, man."

"We'll keep this up all day."

"Rick...c'mon this ain't helping anything." Janis looked at him, imploringly as he finally tapped Shane's shoulder.

They were finally able to calm Daryl down, Shane got off him but not before giving him a shove, leaving him lying on the floor.

Daryl wasn't happy, he didn't listen to anything the group had to say, which Janis predicted, and wasn't impressed by any of their excuses, which she also predicted.

"Hell with all y'all! Just tell me where he is so's I can go get him." He finally shouted, grabbing his crossbow from the floor, ready to walk into Atlanta if he had to.

"We'll show you." Janis finally spoke up.

Daryl turned on her, his eyes narrowed as he stretched a muscle in his shoulder.

"He'll show you." Lori came behind Janis now, nodding at her husband.

This seemed to placate Daryl, if only slightly, who stalked towards his tent, mumbling as he did.

"That went well." Glenn whispered, now behind Janis.

"Actually, for Daryl, that was pretty good." She carried on watching his tent, as Glenn was talking behind her, she wasn't listening.

"Oh just go and fucking talk to him." She was already doing it, waving her hand behind her as Glenn told her to be careful.

She stood outside of his tent, not wanting to just walk in.

"Daryl...Daryl?" She pulled back the tents zip, standing in the doorway she couldn't help but stare. Daryl stood there, halfway through changing his shirt, his skin shined with sweat as he ripped of the old dirty sleeveless shirt.

"Do you ever wash?"

"Do you ever knock?"

"Knock knock."

"Fuck off." Janis was used to this from Daryl, this was how he communicated.

"You alright?"

"What do you think."

"We're gonna go get him."

"Ya' think tha' makes me feel better?" He pulled on a shirt that Janis had washed this morning, not commenting on it being clean or perfectly folded at the foot of his bed.

"No. But at least their trying."

"Tryin'? Maybe they shoulda tried not leave him for dead."

"Merle was being a dick. A methed out, drugged up dick."

"Why'd you come in here again?" He dropped onto his bed, fiddling with his knife.

"To make sure you were okay?"

"Well ya' sure doin' a stand up job."


	7. Chapter 7

**Woah!**

 **Two updates in two days, you can tell I've had a weekend off work.**

 **I'm gonna try and update about once/twice a week but I still have to write my other TWD fic (Kindred/Tethered - check 'em out :D).**

 **xoxo**

 **Chapter 7**

"Lookin' good Officer!"Janis called over to Rick, who was now wearing his clean uniform, he smiled at Janis, something that disappeared from his face as Shane approached him, looking angry, as always.

"So that's it, huh? You're just gonna walk off? Just to hell with everybody else?" He was in Rick's face, throwing his arms around.

"I'm not saying to hell with anybody, not you, Shane, Lori least of all." Rick managed to stay calm.

"Tell her that."

"She knows."

"Well, look, I don't, okay, Rick? So could you just, could you throw me a bone here, man? Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?"

"Hey, choose your words more carefully." Daryl was behind him now, looking ready to rekindle their fight from earlier.

"No, I did." The two men squared up to each other "Douche bag's what I meant."

"Hey Shane, leave it for once?" Janis' hand curled into the fabric of Daryl's shirt, holding him back, just incase.

"Merle Dixon The guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst."

"That ain't leaving it Shane." He gave her a look which Janis assumed was supposed to be intimidating.

"What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst. Thirst and exposure...We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Shane got angrier with every sentence Rick said.

"So you and Daryl, that's your big plan?" Lori asked, sounding genuinely concerned about her husbands welfare, left alone in the City with Daryl.

"Ain't just him and Daryl."

They all turned to her now, Rick looked surprised, Shane still looked pissed.

"You too Jay? You so fucking stupid ya' gonna risk your life for some redneck, backwoods drug addict? How much weed did Dixon sell ya huh?"

"Yup, Glenn too." She said, ignoring his second question.

"Ahhh what? You said I could have a day off Jay."

"Changed my mind."

"You're gonna risk four men..."

"One woman." Shane ignored her.

"No...four men." T-Dog was with them now, standing behind Janis, his arms crossed.

"My day just gets better and better, don't it?" Daryl kicked at the dirt.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?"

"Why you?"

"You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language."

Shane started to rant, as he did Daryl turned on Janis, fully taking her in as he slowly shook his head, indicating, she was sure, that there was no way in hell Janis was going into Atlanta. Behind them she could hear Shane still going on, but was silenced when Rick mentioned the guns he'd left in Atlanta.

"What?" Janis asked Daryl.

"You ain't comin'" he said as the rest of the group argued about their plan, Janis started to walk over to her tent.

"You gonna stop me?"

"If I have ta." His eyes were narrowed as Janis stuffed water bottles into her backpack.

"I've got just as much reason as those guys to save Merle, and I've been into the City more."

"Four's plenty."

"Then why don't you stay here." She walked past him, leaving him standing near her tent, hand scratching the back of his head.

She climbed into the back of the cube van while everyone was saying their goodbyes, giving a quick wave at Dale who was trying to get her attention. Darly jumped into the front seat, he didn't have anyone to say goodbye to either.

"Get out."

"Nope." Daryl just sighed.

He punched his fist into the horn "C'mon let's go!" He shouted at the group, Glenn clamboured into the back of the van, shooting Janis a look as he did so. The group carried on talking, much to Daryl's annoyance.

"HEY!" He revved the trucks engine as T-Dog joined them in the back of the van.

"He letting you come?"

"What's this about letting me do anything? I'm not a kid."

"She ain't comin'" Daryl called from the front.

"I'd pay to see you stop her man." T-Dog laughed as he winked at Janis, Daryl didn't respond as Rick finally got into the passenger seat.

"You sure about this Jay?" Glenn asked her under his breath as they set off.

"What the fuck Glenn? How many times have we gone into the City?"

"S'different."

"How's it different."

"We've never been in the City with two angry rednecks before."

"I heard that chink."

"He's Korean" Janis said at the same time as Glenn.

"Ain't matter what he is, you ain't comin." Daryl stopped the van at the edge of the clearing, hand resting on the back of Rick's headrest, looking at Janis in the back of the van.

"Well I'm not getting out of the van, so either you sweet talk these two lovely men to get me out, or you come get me out yourself, either way, I'll put up a fight, wasting precious time we could be spending saving your fucking idiot brother."

Daryl's tongue pushed at the inside of his cheek as he glared at Janis through the seats.

"She good?" Rick asked.

"She's fine." He carried on driving, still shooting Janis' annoyed looks as he did.

The ride wasn't awkward, but there wasn't a lot of talking, Glenn kept giving Janis questioning looks as they drove towards Atlanta, which Janis promptly ignored, choosing instead to watch the highway be speed underneath them out of the windscreen.

They finally stopped, not driving into the centre of Atlanta but stopping against a chain link fence, leaving the van safely outside of the Walker infested City.

Janis was in front with Glenn, she had her gun at her hip but continued to carry her aluminum baseball bat in her hands.

"The geeks can't get at him. Only thing is gonna get through that door is us." She heard T-Dog behind her, Daryl just scoffed as he carried on walking, crossbow aimed in front of him the whole time.

"Glenn..." Rick called, leaving Janis upfront as he fell back in line with the Sheriff.

"Wha' ya gonna do with that bat huh? Home run?"

"Bat isn't gonna run out of bullets...or bolts." She said nodding to Daryls crossbow.

"Ya fuckin' crazy y'know that?"

"Why?"

"Comin' out into the City..."

"Done it before." She interrupted him.

"S'different." Janis was about to ask him how when she was stopped by Glenn calling her name.

"Plan?" She asked.

"Yeah...we're gonna get Merle first."

"Damn straight." Daryl called over, not bothering to join them.

"Guns after, we'll just be doubling back otherwise."

"It's been a day, hopefully the group would have moved on a bit, we'll be able to get past without too much issue." Rick said, Glenn nodding along.

"And if they haven't moved?" T-Dog asked.

"We fight through." Janis answered, getting a nod from Daryl who had already started moving, disappearing into an alley ahead.

"Hey! Hey, Dixon, do you even know where you're goin'?"

"Don't need ta', I'm assumin' that's the buildin'?" He said, pointing ahead at, the department store they had indeed left Merle handcuffed to the roof.

Janis swallowed. The group had moved on, there was only about quarter of the walkers left surrounding the building. That was still more than they wanted to face. The clawed at the walls and doors, still trying to get at the faint traces of human scent.

"Back door?" Glenn asked

"Back door." Janis nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They fought hard, Janis staying back, taking down any Walkers that managed to get passed Daryl and his crossbow. There wasn't many Walkers left when the small group finally managed to get to the back door, Daryl pushed past them, swinging the door open leaving them all at the bottom of the stairs.

They followed him up, his crashing footsteps attracting all the walkers left. Janis quickly turned back, running down the first few steps to kick the walker, who had managed to crawl to the first step, back through the door before slamming it shut, using a fire extinguisher to keep it closed, at least for a while.

Rushing up the stairs she could hear shouting already, stepping over the walker bodies that lay at the top of the stairs Janis rushed through the open door. Daryl was screaming, shouting.

Merle wasn't there.

He turned on T-Dog, brandishing his crossbow, pointing it right at his head.

Rick was fast though, he had his gun out before Janis could say anything, pointing it at Daryl, scarily reminiscent of why they were back in the city in the first place.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it."

The men had a standoff, Daryl too proud and angry to back down, Rick knowing he would.

He did.

Lowering his crossbow he looked at the only part of Merle left to him.

"You got a do-rag or something?" Without hesitating, T-Dog handed one over. Daryl knelt, carefully wrapping the hand in the rag, encasing it and walking over to Janis and Glenn. They both cringed away before Daryl motioned for Glenn to turn round. Doing as he was asked Janis couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face, a mix of fear and revolution as Daryl tugged on the zips of his backpack.

He knelt again, pointing at the blood pooling on the floor.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." Janis winced "Ain't that a bitch."

Janis turned, grabbing Dale's toolkit, knowing they'd have hell to pay if they forgot it again.

"He must have used a tourniquet maybe his belt...Be much more blood if he didn't." She heard from across the roof as Daryl followed Merles trail of blood to the other door.

They all followed him, down stairs, into what looked like a staff room. Two dead walkers lay on the floor. They all stepped over them.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches." Daryl pointed out, wandering around the room "One handed. Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother...Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails." He was checking every corner.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is." Rick added cautiously, Janis just managed to catch the look of worry that passed over Daryl's face before it was quickly replaced with his usual scowl.

"Merle! Merle!" Daryl shouted, making the rest of the group flinch.

"We're not alone here. Remember?" Glenn pointed out as Janis walked over to Daryl.

"Screw that. He could be bleeding out. You said so yourself."

"What's that smell?" Janis asked him, pointing at the hot plate on the counter.

"Skin. He cauterized the stump." Rick called over, inspecting the two walkers lying dead on the ground. Janis scrunched her nose up, looking over at Glenn, He was making the same face.

"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill merle but merle."

They carried on discussing Merle's chances of survival as Janis backed away from the seared skin on the hot plate, over to the smashed window on the other side of the room.

"Umm...guys?"

There was a small amount of blood on the ledge below the window, the gravel there was disrupted,

"He left the building?" Glenn asked behind her "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he's got to do."

"Surviving." They looked at Janis, who was still staring at the blood splatter under the window.

Daryl and Rick continued to discuss Merle's chance of survival in the overrun city. Finally silence fell around the group.

"Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog stated, to which Glenn agreed. They all filed out of the room, looking for somewhere that smelt less of burning flesh.

Janis unconsciously hung back, still thinking of Merle, fighting his way through the City, blood pouring from his severed arm.

"Jay." She looked up, it was Daryl. He motioned his head for her to follow him.

"He's gonna be okay." She said, almost to herself more than Daryl.

"Course he is...ain't no one can kill a Dixon."

"But a Dixon, yeah, I know." She cut him off.

"C'mon, don't want 'em thinkin' we've made a run for it."

"Me and you?" She laughed.

"Reckon I could put up with ya at least a day longer than the rest of them...s'long as ya don't bring the China man."

"Glenn...his name is Glenn. And we kinda come as a package."

"I'll make a run for it alone then."

They were laughing as they followed the others now, up some stairs to an abandoned office above the department store. Glenn turned, giving Janis a look which she ignored.

It was agreed, they'd go after the guns before they searched the City for Merle. He would be close, and the more firepower they had the safer and easier it would be. Janis sat back, letting Glenn do his thing as he drew the plan of the City on a white board he'd chucked on the floor.

"You're not doing this alone." Rick and Janis said at the same time, she looked to Rick who smiled at her, Glad he had someone backing him up.

"Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much." Daryl said, making her smile.

"It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out...If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast."

"No."

"Janis. Look. That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now." He said placing a whiteboard eraser on the board "That's the bag of guns," a scrunched up post-it note was put right next to the eraser "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met...That's where Daryl and I will go."

"Why me?"

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun."

"While Daryl waits here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked.

"You and T-Dog, right. You'll be in this alley here."

"What about me?" Glenn ignored her.

"Two blocks away? Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way."

"Glenn?" She asked, he ignored her again.

"Walkers might cut me off...If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl, I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me.

Afterwards, we'll all meet back here." his eyes met hers, she knew he wanted her to stay here, out of harms way.

"I'm not staying here."

"Jay...c'mon."

"No. When have I ever let you down? I'm a better aim than T-Dog...no offense," he held his hands up, signifying non taken "I'm not sitting pretty while you risk your life." He grabbed her arm to drag her away from the group, she pulled her arm from his grip "No Glenn, if you wanna do this alone fine, I get that bit of the plan, but what's stopping me covering Daryl? What use am I here?"

Glenn's jaw clenched.

"Man, she's right."

He shook his head "Fine, Jay you're covering Daryl. No shots unless necessary." He was shaking his head, but Janis knew he couldn't stay angry.

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked.

Janis smiled at Glenn, knowing the answer before he said it. Glenn was always better than his job, but he didn't care.

"Delivered pizzas, why?"


	9. Chapter 9

**WOAHHHHH**

 **So I haven't written ANYTHING in months?!**

 **I decided to pick it all up again, I updated my Merle fic with a few chapters then got a bit of writers block so decided to come back to this one and it is HARD. I think following the actual story-line of the show is really messing with me hahaha**

 **Hope anyone reading it is liking where I am going so far, there will probably be a lot more Janis/Daryl interaction when I get to the camp/CDC**

 **Comments/reviews are always appreciated**

 **xoxo**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Janis stood on the rooftops above the alley Glenn and Daryl were making their way down, she watched them, moving slowly and cautiously towards the main road. She mentally cringed Glenn ran into the road, hoping that his plan would go smoothly. As soon as he rounded the corner she couldn't see him anymore, turning her focus to Daryl, crouched low behind the dumpster in the alley.

It wasn't long before someone was coming back down the alley, he was silhouetted against the sun behind him, but Janis could tell instantly it wasn't Glenn. As he approached Daryl Janis trained her gun on him, being careful to keep her finger away from the trigger. She could hear Daryl say something, but couldn't decipher much of what he was saying apart from the word brother.

There was no warning before he boy started screaming

"Ayudar! Ayudar!"

She could hear Daryl now telling him to be quiet, waving his crossbow in his face even more. When the boy refused to stop shouting Daryl smashed him in the face with the crossbow, making him scream more. Almost instantly two men came from the direction Glenn had taken, jumping on Daryl, kicking him and punching him.

Janis trained the gun on them, but couldn't get a clear shot. Every time she thought she had, they moved, making Daryl vulnerable.

Glenn was in the Alley now, they ran from Daryl, they were on Glenn in seconds, smashing him in the face it was all going so fast. Glenn had dropped the bag of guns he was now holding while one of them gladly picked it up the others attention was on Glenn, who was trying his best to fight back

Janis was still trying hard to hard to get a clear shot, as the man with the bag stood up, she finally had it. Pulling the trigger she instantly knew she'd hit her target as the man clutched at the bullet now lodged firmly in his butt. However Janis' celebrations were short lived. A car screeched into view at the end of the alley, the bag forgotten the two men headed for it, still dragging Glenn with them. Janis fired off a few more unsuccessfully shots as they both got in the car, leaving behind their friend and the bag of guns.

Janis watched just long enough to see Daryl jump up, running towards the gates he jumped on them, screaming as he did. She saw him now, closing the gates the men had come in from to keep out the walkers and turn on the younger man left behind, a dangerous look in his eyes before she made her away off of the rooftop.

Jumping from her side of the roof to the closest one with stairs Janis ran down them, by the time she made it into the alley Rick and T-Dog where already there, pulling Daryl off the boy who was now crouched against the wall of the of the alley, his arms covering his face.

"They took Glenn...they took him." Janis was running towards the boy on the ground, uncaring that she was sure they'd just pulled Daryl off of him. "Where is he? Get off T...let me, we gotta find him,"

Rick put his hand on her chest, looking her straight in the eye.

"We will. We will, but right now, we need to get out of here, it ain't safe."

Janis took one final look at the boy cowering on the floor, nodded silently, stopping.

Rick led them back to the room they had made their plan in, Daryl held onto the younger man, pushing him roughly into a chair. Janis stood at the edge of the room, nothing but worry for Glenn filling her mind as she watched Rick, T-Dog and Daryl interrogate him.

"Merle? What kinda hick name is that I wouldn't even name my dog Melre."

Janis called it before it happened, running forward she grabbed at Daryl's vest as he went to kick the boy, hardly making an impact Rick helped her, pushing Daryl backwards. Instead of trying again Daryl moved towards his bag, bring out the bandana wrapped hand.

"Wanna see what I did to the last guy who pissed me off?" He asked, looking warily at Janis as she cringed.

He threw the hand unceremoniously in the boy's lap. For a second or two he didn't react, as soon as he realised what it was he jumped up, screaming as he did so. Daryl descended on him now.

"I'll start with the feet this time."

Rick pulled him off, shaking his head but didn't say anything. Using a different approach proved fruitful, a few minutes and Rick had managed to get a location out of the boy.

While this was happening, Daryl moved closer to Janis, she could tell that he was pissed off Rick had stopped him.

"Want me to grab Merle's hand?" She asked as Rick pulled the boy off of the floor.

"Nah, not like he's gonna want it back anwyays."

"Maybe he'll attach a chainsaw to it...go all Evil Dead?"

This actually made Daryl laugh, an achievement that had been a long time coming for Janis.

"Janis, Daryl, lets go, the sooner we find him..." Rick trailed off, looking at Janis warily.

"The sooner we get him home." She finished. Janis was sure that wasn't what Rick was aiming for, but the alternative didn't bare thinking about.

They made their way through Atlanta, following Miguels (Rick had managed to get his name out of him) directions.

Rick fell into step with Janis.

"We will find him y'know, it doesn't sound good, but they're gonna need a bargaining tool."

"You been in any hostage type situations before this?"

"I went on a course."

"Lets hope that pays off."

Miguel led them to what looked like a pretty un down warehouse, the place can't have been particularly nice even pre-apocalypse.

"You sure you two are up for this?" Rick asked.

Janis and T-Dog had agreed to be the 'eyes in the skies' the same position Janis had held when Glenn had been taken

"It's probably best if I'm not down there with them...not sure the guy who I shot would react so well to seeing me again."

"One more move, you getting' an arrow in the ass. Just so you know" Daryl threatened Miguel

"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know." Janis could just hear him retort as her and T-Dog walked to the building next to them.

"You okay?" T-Dog asked, looking more closely at Janis

"I will be when Glenn's back."

"Me too...so we can get the hell outta here."

T-Dog and Janis got onto the roof just in time to see the huge set of doors pull open. Janis took in a deep breath, looking through the sight of the gun Rick had given her, she steadied it on the side of the roof as T-Dog watched her carefully, he followed suit.

A man walked nonchalantly out of the doors, Janis strained her ears but still couldn't hear what he was saying.

Not long after another man stormed out of the doors.

"HEY..." Janis could definitely hear this guy "Where's that puta that shot me in the ass huh?"

The man who had exited first put a hand on the other man's arm, pushing down the gun he was aiming at Daryl, talking in a low and calm voice. They talked for a while, Daryl was swinging his crossbow between the two men across from him, never relaxing as Rick and the man exchanged

words.

Janis tried to stay calm, concentrating hard on the movements down below, staying ready. She saw all the men in the courtyard suddenly tense, a few of their hands lingering dangerously close to triggers. A minute later and their eyes were following Ricks, looking straight at T-Dog and Janis, perched high above them on the roof. Janis was tempted to wave, but thought better of it when the man she'd shot raised his gun in a greeting.

"Come on man...make the trade, please" T-Dog whispered under his breath.

"It ain't looking good." Janis replied

"Oye" the man below them shouted, Janis heard shuffling on the roof across from her.

Glenn was being led by two much bigger men, a bag over his head. Janis moved her gun towards them, not missing a beat as she whispered "Stay on them down below T...I got Glenn covered."

She could see Glenn physically shaking as they whipped the bag off his head, his mouth was covered with duct tape as he struggled against the men holding his arms.

"Oh shit...Glenn."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

They left without managing to secure, what Rick called 'a deal'. Janis couldn't think of anything but Glenn, in her opinion if they wanted the guns they were more than welcome to them, as long as they handed over her best friend.

"Them guns are worth more than gold." Daryl mumbled, not looking at Janis. "Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table."

"No, but Glenn will." Janis bit back. "He's don't more runs into the City than anyone back on camp put together."

"You think that vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?" He asked, raising his eyebrows as he finally looked at Janis.

"You calling G a liar?" Miguel piped up now, wriggling against his binds.

"Are you a part of this? You want to hold onto your teeth?" Daryl growled at the boy "Question is, do you trust that man's word? No, question is what are you willing to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life."

"Glenn worth that to you?" Daryl pushed when he didn't get a reaction.

"What life I have I owe to him. "

"Rick..." Janis started, the man turned on her, obviously lost in the thought that she pulled him out of. "You don't have to do this. I mean, what's the point in both of us risking our lives."

"I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I."

Janis smiled at the man, suddenly realising how alike him and Glenn were, selfless...honorable.

"So you're gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl broke the moment.

"I didn't say that." Rick bit back "There's nothing keeping you two here, you should get out, head back to camp. Me and Janis have got this."

"And tell your family what? Come on, this is nuts."

"Tell his family that he stayed behind to save the guy that saved his fucking ass in the first place." Janis said, fed up of how heartless Daryl was. Sure this was the end of the world, and she wasn't going to let her best friend live through it without her.

Daryl glared at her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, not having a smart answer for once.

"Just do like G says." The younger boy piped up.

"Shut up!" Both Daryl and Janis said at the same time, earning them both a disapproving look from Rick.

They stood, in a twisted re-creation of what had happened this morning, crouched behind the fence outside 'G's warehouse.

This time, there was no need for T-Dog and Janis to act as snipers, they knew Guillermo wasn't trigger happy, all they wanted was a deal.

"I see my guns but they're not all in the bag." G was waiting for them at the doors, his arms crossed across his chest.

"That's because they're not yours...I thought I mentioned that."

"Let's just shoot these fools right now, ese." The man who Janis had shot was once again, waving his gun around. "All right? Unload on their asses, ese." He aimed this at Janis, eyeing her up and down.

"I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."

"No, I'm pretty clear." Rick sounded more confident than Janis ever felt, "You have your man. I want mine."

"I'm gonna chop up your boy." Janis felt herself tense, not releasing she had moved forward until she felt Daryl's hand tugging at her jacket, pulling her back instep with him.

"I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale." His head flicked upwards, Janis almost laughed. To her it was a mock portrayal of confidence, it looked even more ridiculous against Rick.

"I told you how it has to be." He said, his hands now on his hips, not even inching towards his gun.

"Are you woefully deaf?"

"No, my hearing's fine." Their words shooting fast meaning they didn't need the guns "You said

come locked and loaded. Okay then, we're here." Janis, Daryl and T-Dog, in un-spoken synchronization, aimed their weapons, Janis cocking the shotgun she was holding.

"Felipe! Felipe!" Shouts came from inside the warehouse, a look of terror came on the young mans face as G looked back past the doors as an older lady walked out of them, squinting in the sunshine.

Janis looked around at her group, all of them looking completely shocked, Daryl had even lowered his crossbow, if only by an inch.

"Abuela, go back with the others now." His voice had change, as had his stance, the young man shuffled under the gaze of the older lady.

"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl called, his crossbow raised back into position.

"Abuela, listen to your mijo, okay?" The guy who was normally so trigger happy stepped in, his calm tone shocking Janis further "This is the not the place for you right now."

Janis continued to watch on in awe, her finger unwittingly sliding from the trigger of the gun as the men continued to talk calmly and lovingly to the old woman. As she told them how someone was having trouble breathing, mentioning medicine, Guillermo told Felipe to take care of it, trying to usher them away. The older lady however, had a different idea.

"Who are those men?" She asked, pointing towards Rick, her face faltering as her eyes finally found Janis .

"Por favor, ven conmigo." Felipe had his hand on her wrist, begging her to come inside as she pulled away.

"Don't you take him." Her eyes were firmly on Rick now, taking in his uniform.

"Ma'am?" Rick held his hands up, unsure of where this was going.

"Felipe's a good boy. He have his trouble but he pull himself together. We need him here." Janis could practically feel the tension changing, as she felt herself lowering her weapon, she looked to T-Dog who was doing the same.

"Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson."

"Then what do you want him for?" She was still wagging her finger at him, as if he was telling her off.

If the situation wasn't so genuinely terrifying, Janis may have laughed.

"He's Helping us find a missing person. Fella named Glenn." Janis silently thanked Rick for bringing it back to Glenn.

"The Asian boy?" The lady asked, her finger finally dropping to her side. "He's with Mr. Gilbert. Come...Come, I show you."

Janis didn't blink, she ran towards the older woman, her shoulder almost colliding with Felipe, following her into the warehouse, not even checking to make sure the rest of the group were with her.

"He needs his medicine." She continued, still talking about , not taking in the gravity of the situation she'd just walked out of.

"Let 'em pass." She heard from behind her, as G allowed Rick, Daryl and T to follow her into the warehouse.

"Take me to him." Janis was joined now by the men, as wondered through the rooms, she couldn't concentrate on anything but the older lady in front of her.

"All right, All right, Nice and easy. Just breathe, just breathe, just let it out...Just breathe."

"Glenn!" Janis ran towards him, his face turning towards her, she could see he was unharmed before crashing into him, enveloping him in a hug as he struggled to get free.

"What the hell is this?" Daryl came up behind them, giving Janis and Glenn a harsh look before focussing his attention on the group to Glenns side.

"An asthma attack." Glenn replied, Janis still firmly attatched to his side. "Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden."

"I thought you were being eaten by dogs, man." T-Dog called, laughing at the chiuauas in the room.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"Don't be so dramatic."

Janis watched as Rick pulled Guillermo to one side, whispering so they couldn't hear.

"No Glenn...seriously. No more heroics. If you wanna run into the middle of Atlanta to get a bag of guns, you can, but I'm going with you."

"It was a good plan..."

"It was a good plan, until you got kidnapped."

She could see Daryl and T-Dog watching their argument, not caring one bit.

"Yeah and what happens when we get attacked by some real bad-ass Mexicans?" Glenn's voice was raised now "Who do you think they're gonna take? Some scrawny ass Korean kid? Or the cute

blonde girl?"

Glenn looked smug as Janis struggled to answer.

"There's only room in the back of the El Camino for one." He'd finished his argument, as he went back, tending to Mr. Gilbert.

"Kids right," Daryl was squinting at Janis, the smug smile he saved just for her tugging at his lips "I know who I'd take."

"Yeah." T-Dog was nodding along "You can't argue with that logic Jay."

"Like I asked you guys."

They stood, watching as Glenn helped in anyway he could, finally locating his medicine was calming down.

When they finally left the warehouse, Glenn stuck to Janis like glue, obviously his stint away from her had worried him as much as her. Rick fell into step with them, continuously checking behind them, his mind on the decision he'd just made for everyone.

"Admit it," Glenn said, pulling Rick out of his thoughts "you only came back to Atlanta for the hat."

"Don't tell anybody." A smile played across Ricks mouth as Janis and Glenn both laughed.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo." Daryl came up behind them.

"Not nearly half."

"For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?" He was angry, but Janis had seen worse from him. Daryl was just saying it for effect, so he could be right down the line, when they eventually ran out of bullets.

"How long do any of us?" Janis asked, it coming out more serious than she intended, the rest of the group carried on as Daryl looked at her, his face unreadable as sighed heavily.

"Oh my God." Rick was way ahead of them now, his hand on his head.

"Where the hell's our van? We left it right there."

"Who would take it?" T asked, thought Janis already knew the answer, she looked again to the hunter who had a small smile playing across his lips.

"Merle. He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp." She watched as Daryl's pace increased, not even checking to see if his group was following him he headed towards the car park that was once a highway, his crossbow held high, the smile still on his face.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Janis felt the muscles in her legs seizing up. She walked through the pain, telling herself she was nothing but grateful that their camp was that far away from the city.

"You forgiven me yet?" Glenn asked, looking at Janis in the moonlight.

"Not yet." Janis smiled at Glenn. They were almost the same height, she always forgot that.

"You can't stay mad at me." They were lagging behind the rest of the group slightly, "I'm too cute."

She rolled her eyes, "Sure you are...sweet cheeks." She slapped his ass, running ahead of him as he stopped in his tracks, shaking his head at her, smiling through it.

"Ya'll stop fuckin' around...if you want your friends to keep all their appendages, we better hurry up."

Janis laughed, earning her a wary look from RIck.

"He's joking...Merle ain't that bad."

"You say that as an adorable little white girl." T called from across the road "but me and Glenn will definitely be losin' a finger or two, depending on how methed out he is."

"I ain't adorable, I'm a walker killin' machine."

T cackeled as Daryl shot them dirty looks. He stalked ahead of them, getting faster and faster the closer they got to the camp.

They were nearing the camp when they heard gunshots, Janis automatically looked for Glenn, who was slightly dragging behind. He nodded at her, running up to meet the group as they all sprinted towards camp.

"If that's your brother." Rick shouted as he ran, his gun already cocked and ready, aimed ahead of him.

"Ain't Merle."

"You better hope so."

As they ran through the trees Janis focused ahead of her, watching as Glenn ran, carefully avoiding all the roots.

They crashed through the trees, not caring that each one of them tripped over their noise makers, cans clanging around them Janis took in what was happening. Their whole group was on their feet, Shane and Morales both attacking Walkers, bats swinging as blood flew everywhere. Janis' eyes barely grazed over Amy dying on the ground, Andrea covered in blood standing above her.

Her hands reacted before her head, turning on the first walker she pulled her trigger, wincing as the blood splashed her face. Gun shots were exploding around her as she heard bodies literally hit the ground following each one.

It wasn't long, maybe five minutes before the massacre ended. Each one of them stood, the night suddenly feeling much darker as the camp was no longer lit up by the gun shots. She could hear the heavy breathing coming from the men around her, looking for Glenn she glanced to the right, spotting Daryls outline, his crossbow glinting in the moonlight, his breath just visible in the sky.

"Ya'right?" He asked, nodding in her direction.

"Yeah...yeah good, you?" She was still breathing heavily, Daryl just nodded, barely visible in the dark but Janis saw it.

Glenns hand landed on her shoulder, turning she took in his face, pale in the moonlight, but untouched. She fell into him, finally letting go of her emotions, crying into his shoulder as he patted her back.

"We're okay...we're." He couldn't finish his sentence, knowing that people they knew, people they cared about had died.

She clutched at him as the walked further into camp. Watching as Carl ran into Ricks arms, Lori not far behind. Amy crouching over a now un-moving Amy, crying as Dale stood over her, warily.

"What do we do?"

"Ain't nohin' to do tonight, too dark. We make sure there ain't no more, then sort it out in the mornin'" he nodded at the other side of the camp, indicating that's where he'd be as Glenn and Janis got to work with the rest. They worked in silence, checking each of the walkers, making sure they were dead, securing the perimeter.

She crawled into her tent, still covered in blood, but too physically and emotionally drained to do anything about it. She heard Glenn talking to Rick outside, the rest of the camp quiet as Rick told him to get a few hours, Daryl was on watch for now.

Glenn climbed in after that, he sat, staring through the entrance of the tent.

"Hey...we ain't dead yet." She tried hard to cheer him up.

"No...but they are, Amy, Ed, Sam...they're all dead."

"We can't let it finish us...WE aren't done" she emphasized it by grabbing his hand, pulling his gaze away from the night outside.

He looked at her, his eyes dark as she remembered how they met the group they were now mourning.

Glenn and Janis had been with the group for a over a month, maybe even closer to two now. They had all met on the highway. Not surprisingly, the metal graveyard that used to lead to Atlanta was full of lost families and survivors in the days after the announcement of a safe zone. Janis and Glenn didn't react straight away, Glenn for one was skeptical, he was convinced they were better off solo. However after a close call at a garden center, trying to get a tent, they finally gave in. Frantically packing anything he could get his hands on Glenn threw anything he could find into the back of Janis' truck, packs and packs of dried noodles, clothes, bedding, a baseball bat.

Janis had been wary at first, but with the news that the Atlanta safe zone wasn't so safe, she agreed to join the older man with the RV.

Since then, she hadn't looked back, since then she had not only helped these people survive but they helped her. She remembered the coffee Amy had tried to make, filtered through a pair of tights. The way Dale looked to her, not just Shane, when making decisions. In two months they had become family. And her family was dying around her.

The next morning, everyone stood around the group, looking like none of them had slept. Janis stood wearily, looking around at the bodies, everything now looking much worse in the sunlight.

They carried on with what they started last night, Daryl held a pick axe in his hand. Deftly breaking each walkers head with one swing. Janis was using a knife that used to be Ed's, wincing at how close she had to get to the walkers in order to make sure they were dead.

Janis looked up as Rick came into view. He joined the rest of the group, who were standing around, apparently too good to be smashing brains. Janis wiped the sweat from her forehead with one bloody hand, smearing it across her head, watching as Rick tried to approach Andrea.

Before Rick could say a word Andrea turned on him, her gun in his face.

"I know how the safety works." She said, loud enough for Janis to hear.

With one finally stab at the final walker, Janis headed towards Glenn and T-Dog who were lifting all the bodies into the back of Janis' truck.

As she walked she could hear Daryl and Rick.

"What do you suggest?"

"Take the shot...Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."

"No."

For what it was worth, Daryl was right, they couldn't risk it anymore. Sentimentality was one thing, but putting the whole groups life at risk wasn't something she could agree with.

Before she got to Glenn she filled her bottle with water, scrunching her nose up at how warm it was.

"You guys should take a break, you're doin' all the heavy lifting today." She handed over her bottle which Glenn took happily.

"They need stop arguing and just get stuff done, would be a lot easier if we were all working."

"This work is too good for Officer Shane." Janis answered T-Dog, trying her best to emulate Shane as she said his name "Wait till there's a woman to save or a group to boss around he'll show up."

"What are you guys doing? This is for geeks." She heard Glenn shout, pulling her away from her conversation with T-Dog. "Our people go over there." He was pointing to the neat line of bodies they had assembled, trying to give as much respect to their dead as they deserved.

"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl was nonchalant as usual, squinting at Glenn in the morning sun.

"Our people go in that row over there. We don't burn them! We bury them. Understand? Our people go in that row over there." Janis stood behind him, silently backing him up as Daryl looked the pair over.

"You reap what you sow."

"You know what? Shut up, man." T-Dog was backing Glenn up, standing with his arms crossed next to the pile of dead walkers in the truck.

"Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this coming." With that Daryl continued to drag Ed's body towards the row of their friends. Janis followed him, not before Glenn grabbed at her hand, silently telling her to be careful.

"It's Daryl, I can handle him."

"Hey...Hey wait up." She called after him.

"Why? So ya can tell me to calm down?"

"No." She grabbed at his arm, spinning around he stood a good 4 inches taller than her, his chest puffed out as squinted at her "Look...You're pissed." He snorted "you have every right to be angry, but it ain't gonna help at all."

He said nothing, continuing to look at Janis, his face slightly softer now.

"Merle...he's gonna be fine. I mean, he's fucking crazy right? Walkers are scared of him."

He almost laughed, not quite, but almost.

"He ain't dead, I know that, don't need no jumped up city girl tryin' to make me feel better."

She sighed, used to his jibes by now,

"Right now Daryl, we need to focus on this." She waved her arm behind her, indicating the mayhem of their camp.

"Why should I help out a lotta dicks that couldn't give a shit 'bout me."

"I give a shit."

"Nah you don't, it was just a easy way to get the squirrels first. Merle just wanted some tail n' so did you."

"Oh shut up Daryl, if you really wanted to go out there and find Merle, survive just the two of you, you wouldn't have stayed when you realized he wasn't at camp." Janis turned back to camp, not allowing him to answer but a smile playing across her face when she heard his soft footsteps behind her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"A walker bit Jim!" Janis was suddenly pulled from the back breaking work, Jacqui was now backing away from the man, who was adamant it was nothing.

"I'm okay...I'm okay." He insisted, as the group converged on him, some still holding shovels and tools, making themselves look like an angry mob. Jim looked terrified.

"Show us." Shane was insistent, but kept his distance from Jim.

Janis still stayed back, not keen on getting any closer and not keen on making Jim any more scared. She watched as the group got angrier. Converging on Jim Daryl and T-Dog grabbed him as he screamed over and over that he was okay. Janis winced at the noise, glancing at the pile of walkers she worried that more would be attracted by the screams. The suddenly subsided when Daryl lifted Jims shirt, revealing a bright red, angry wound on his stomach, not being able to look anymore Janis dropped her tools, making her way to her tent.

Janis dropped onto her ground mat, not bother to move the sleeping bag she was half lying on. She looked up, watching as the sun shone through the tent, the shadows cast in green all around her. Footsteps approaching the tent shook her from the sleep she'd managed to find.

"Knock Knock."

"Come in."

She knew it was him before he lifted the flap of the tent, his gentle but even step giving him away.

"Ya takin' a nap."

"Trying to...wasn't too keen on taking part in the witch hunt going on out there."

"Ya think we should just let 'em turn? Kill us all?" Daryl asked, still crouched outside the tent, peering at her.

"No, but it isn't our choice. It's Jim's." She moved to come out of the tent, Daryl backing away so she could get past him "I've already told Glenn, if it happens, just shoot me, don't let me turn."

"S'what I said."

"What you said was to smash a pick-axe in his face...little different."

Daryl just shrugged.

"Don't matter anyway, they've decided to let him live."

"Did they ask him?"

"Whadda you think?" Janis laughed as Daryl raised his eyebrow looking over at Shane. However much Shane had done for the group, he had a tendency to make decisions for everyone, no questions first.

"We're leavin'" he said, not looking at Janis, squinting at the pile of walkers in the distance.

"Leaving? Where are we going? Fort Benning?" Shane had been talking about the Army base for a while.

"CDC...in Atlanta. Rick seems ta think it's Jims only chance."

"And you?"

"And me what?"

"What do you think?"

"What's that matter?" He still wouldn't look at her, his attention now on Shane and Rick digging graves.

"You normally know what to do."

"Not like no one listens."

"You gonna come with us to the CDC." She asked, ignoring his last statement.

"Need ta find Merle."

"He was in the City...maybe going to the CDC will get us closer to him."

He was silent for a long time, finally turning to look down at her, his sandy hair sticking to his head, the sweat beading on his forehead.

"Maybe." Daryl took one last look at Janis, a smile playing across his lips as he walked towards the ever growing pile of walkers at the side of their camp.

After hours of back breaking work, digging graves, moving walkers and finally setting fire to the huge pile of dead bodies, they were finished. The afternoon had continued in relative silence, the single gun shot of Andrea finally letting go of Amy echoed through the camp, threatening to break Janis' reserve as she watched them carry her to the graves.

The evening proved to be just as quiet, everyone broke off, choosing to be more solitary than the evenings previous, where they had gathered around a campfire, trying to ignore the ever changing world around them.

Janis was washing out the back of her truck, with the help of Glenn, taking buckets of water from the quarry, pouring them on the bed, in their best attempt to wash most of the blood from it.

"You hear about the CDC?" She asked Glenn, using a stick with a rag tied to the end to try and clean off something Janis hoped wasn't brains.

"Overheard Rick and Shane arguing 'bout it earlier...I agree with Rick, if there's anywhere that'll know what's going, on it will be the CDC."

"I'll be wherever you are Glenn...let's just hope this works out."

Janis stood in the back of her truck, empty bucket in hand as she watched the moonlight reflect on the water pooling in the grooves of the truck bed, Shanes raised voice pulling her from her trance.

"I've been, uh I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no There are no guarantees either way." He was fiddling nervously with his cap, shooting Lori meaningful looks as he talked "I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time, I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning.  
Okay?"

He finished, looking now to the rest of the camp, searching for some agreement, she saw Glenn nod next to her. A few of the other campers looked in agreement, where others still wore the sad masks that losing friends and family had given them. Janis' eyes darted around the camp, searching for Daryl, he was nowhere to be seen, his tent dark, she sighed, jumping down from the bed of her truck, heading for her tent.

Glenn was close behind her, they settled in for the night, not bothering with dinner, they were both too exhausted.

"Glenn..." Janis started, not even sure what she wanted to say to him, he turned to her, the green of the tent now much much darker than before, casting ghostly shadows across his face.

"It's gonna be okay Jay...Rick, he has the right idea."

"It's in like, the middle of Atlanta, you and me, we both know what it's like down there. But Lori? Carol?"

"Rick wouldn't risk Carl, he wouldn't do this if he didn't think it was our best shot."

"I'm scared."

She heard Glenn shuffle towards her slightly, his hand grabbing for hers in the dark. Grabbing at it he squeezed, giving her more comfort than words could.

The morning came too soon, Janis was sure sleep had alluded her on purpose, her mind filled with all they'd lost and the journey they still had ahead of them. Glenn was still asleep, curled as small as he could get, his head resting on his balled up jacket. Janis couldn't help but smile, he looked so peaceful.

Careful not to wake him up Janis changed into a fresher pair of jeans, wriggling them on in the tent wasn't easy as she struggled to pull them over her hips. Discarding her grimy vest in favour of one of Glenns plaid shirts, Janis pulled it on, relishing the smell of soap that now felt like a luxury.

Glenn was still asleep when Janis left the tent, glad to leave him to rest for a little while longer. It was still early, the camp was quiet as Janis went to check her truck of gas. She saw a little movement in the RV, her heart aching for Jim.

"You runnin' off? Leavin' ya boyfriend?" She'd been checking the oil in the engine, her head under the hood as he approached.

"Just checking it all...don't wanna run out of gas on the way to the CDC." She ignored the boyfriend comment, Janis was bored of fielding questions when no one seemed to listen.

He squinted at her, like he always did.

"You coming?" She asked, replacing the dipstick in her engine. Whipping her hands on an already oil soaked rag she dropped the hood, making Daryl wince.

"Mmm." He made a non committal noise but was nodding his head "Gonna maybe go into the city, see if I can see the van."

"Once we get settled, we can get a proper search going...he can't have got too far, even if it is Merle."

"Ya don't gotta.."

"Merle's your brother, I know I'd do anything to get Glenn back." She smiled up at him as he studied her, his face relaxing slightly at the smile. "And if Rick had handcuffed him to a roof and left him for the walkers, well let's say I think you were pretty reserved."

"You against Officer Rick and Officer Shane? That I'd like to see."

"Shane's a puppy dog, if Lori's got him wrapped around her little finger, how hard can it be?"

A few of the other campers had started to emerge now, stretching in the sunlight. She watched as most of their eyes automatically turned to the fresh graves from the day before, sadness etched in their features.

When Glenn finally got up they packed everything they could, squeezing her only possessions in one small black backpack, throwing it in the back of the truck along with the tent, now clumsily rolled back into its bag.

Groaning came from the RV, Janis saw Glenn visibly wince as he looked towards it, his hand hovering over the gun at his waist. Rick was already heading towards the door, cautiously entering the RV. Janis' heart was in her mouth, her breathing felt constricted as she watched the still RV, waiting for any sign of danger. It was only after Rick exited, about 5 minutes after that she felt her breath come back and continued to help Lori put down the tent they were struggling with.

"Think ya can move your shit?" Daryl was standing above them, blocking the sun from their eyes. Janis looked at Lori, glad that the older lady looked as confused as her.

"Me?" She asked, still confused.

"Gonna put my bike in the back, save fuel, like ya said, wouldn't wanna run out halfway there."

Just chuck it in the back of mine." Shane was hovering protectively over them, glaring at Daryl. Giving the tent one last unsuccessful push into the bag, she just laughed as Shane took it from her, removing it from the bag, rolling it neatly and sliding it easily into its case.

"I could have done that, I just..."

"Go help the redneck." He laughed, his hand brushing her back as she left.

Glenn stood by Daryl loading his bike into the truck, his face unreadable, he turned to Janis and raised one slim eyebrow.

"He wants to save fuel."

"Sure he does...guess he'll be riding with you as well?"

"Didn't say."

"I don't think Jim will want him in the RV, Lori isn't a fan, and I dunno who'd come out alive if he rode with Shane."

"Daryl." Glenn didn't laugh, just stalked towards the RV, hands in his pockets.

"What's got him butt-hurt?"

"Nothing, you riding in the truck?"

"If it's okay with ya boyfriend."

"S'fine."

"Ya sure he ain't jealous?" He was already walking away, the smile on his face as arragont as ever.

Janis followed him, leaning up against RV, next to Glenn as she watched the group discuss leaving.

"We're, uh We're not going."

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." After much persuasion from Morales, Rick handed them a gun, much to Daryl's dismay, he could hardly watch as Shane handed over half a box of ammo. Goodbyes were said, Janis smiled as she watched Sophia and Eliza hugged Sophia, giving the girl her doll.

"You be safe."

"I'm not riding with a walker Glenn."

"Dunno which I'd prefer." She playfully punched him in the arm before enveloping him in a hug, very aware of Daryl's eyes on her as he waited, leant up against her truck.

"Ya ready?" He called over, she gave Glenn one last smile before heading to her truck, shaking her head at the hunter.

"I'm driving," he said, holding his hands out for the keys.

"Like fuck you are." Janis ignored him, walking round to the left hand side of the truck "I might trust you with my life Daryl but this truck is another thing entirely." she was already in the drivers side, starting the engine before he slid into the passenger seat.

"Ya got a potty mouth for a city girl."

"And you have bad judgment for a hunter...I ain't always been city." She said, as she pulled out of the camp, giving the graves one last sad look, hoping they'd made the right decision.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The convoy snaked along the roads, avoiding broken down cars and dead bodies as they travelled along highways.

"How long ya had it?" He nodded towards the dashboard.

"It was my Dads...he bought cheap, from the Army, used to be used to move ammo and food I think." She smiled fondly at the memory of reaching behind the seat and pulling out the documents, showing them to her dad like treasure.

"How'd he die?" He was looking at the window, searching the woods as they drove by.

"How'd you know?" She hadn't spoken about her Dad, and she was sure Glenn wouldn't have.

"I ain't that bad a judge of character."

"Shot" Daryl turned to her but didn't say anything "...he was a police officer, used to be anyways, we moved to Atlanta, 'cause he got a promotion...DEA, drugs enforcement. Though you probably know all 'bout them."

"Don't know why I asked, knew I'd get a smart answer." He said, shaking his head.

"He went on a routine drugs bust, nothin' special...but some methed up trigger happy douche bag thought differently."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks. Was a while ago now..."

"Don't stop it hurtin'."

"No it doesn't." Taking her eyes off the road she studied him, realising she probably more in common with him than she first thought.

It wasn't long before they were slowing up, Dales RV coming to a complete stop.

"Wha' now?"

"Do you think its Jim?"

"Shoulda done somethin' bout it at the camp...risk all our freakin' lives."

"Glenn..." Janis jumped out of the truck, ignoring Daryls calouse words as she ran to the RV, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw Glenn and Dale standing at the front of the smoking vehicle.

"Broken down."

"Again?"

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van."

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked, coming up behind them

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose...And I'm out of duct tape." Dale said exasperated, throwing his arms in the air.

"I see something up ahead...A gas station if we're lucky." Shane was squinting into the distance, straining his eyes for some sign of hope.

"Y'all, Jim It's bad, I don't think he can take anymore." Jacqui was hanging out of the RV, tears streaming down her face as she looked around the group.

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane offered, nodding his head as T-Dog offered to come with him.

Janis watched as Rick entered the RV, cringing at the groaning coming from the back of it.

"How is he?" She asked Glenn, who was doing the same as her, a pained look on his face.

"He's bad Jay, I don't think he'll make it even if we get him all the way there."

"We should have asked him what he wants, he isn't a dog, we can't just put him down..."

"Not that easy is it..."

"Nothing is anymore." Daryl had finally got out of the truck, he stretched his arms as he squinted down the road and T-Dog and Shane.

"It's what he says he wants." Rick had spoken to Jim, the man had asked to be left, that the pain of travelling was too much and wasn't going to prevent the inevitable.

"And he's lucid?" Lori asked

"He seems to be, I would say yes."

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood.  
I would never go along with callously killing a man." Janis looked at Daryl who rolled his eyes, already making his way towards the truck.

"Ain't got time to be hangin' round discussin' a dead man when Merle's out there alive." He said, kicking the wheel of the truck.

"Hey...no need to take it out on him, Jim ain't dead yet anyways."

"Might as well be, he's been bitten, ain't no one survin' that."

"You don't know that Daryl...if Jim made it, they coulda helped him."

"Ya sure you ain't been at Merle's stash? Ya spoutin' shit Janis. He's a dead man, we all wastin' our time, lookin' for a cure that ain't out there." He stomped off, swinging open the door of the truck and slamming it closed.

"Jeez...What'd you do?" She turned to Glenn who was hesitantly coming up behind her.

"Spoutin' shit apparently."

"Whats new?"

"Shut up Glenn..."

"They're leaving him a gun." He said, stopping Janis from arguing any further.

"Poor Jim." They stood and watched as Rick pressed a gun into Jim's hand, leaving him sat up against a tree, facing the highway.

"I hope to God the CDC is safe." Glenn shook his head, averting his eyes from the scene.

"We aren't going to get there till dark, if it isn't, where do we go? The City? With this many cars?"

"You gonna be okay driving with him?" He asked as Rick finally walked away from Jim, leaving him against the tree.

"Why...you wanna squeeze in the middle?"

"Not if you paid me." He laughed, retreating to the RV which Shane had just finished fixing. Shaking her head she made her way back to the truck, giving Daryl a wary look as she started it, he just stared out of the windows, chewing his nails.

Janis was right, it was almost dark by the time they got to the CDC, its blue sign practically hidden by dead bodies as they pulled up to the curb. Janis pulled her shirt over her mouth, shielding the smell. It was overpowering, as flies buzzed all around them, the sound was almost loud enough to attract walkers.

They walked, crouched toward it, ready for an attack as Janis grabbed the back of Glenn's shirt as they made their way nearer the huge building in unison.

Rick rattled the shutters, getting more desperate with each hit.

"Nothing?" He pounds on them again.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog turns to the group, a desperate look in his eyes as he surveys their surroundings.

"Then why are these shutters down?"

"Walkers!" Daryl calls, loosing one arrow into its head.

"Baby, come on." Lori pulls at Rick's shirt, attempting to lead him away from the building

"You led us into a graveyard!" Daryl screamed, pointing a gun at Ricks head, Janis rushed forward, grabbing his arm trying in vain to push it down as Shane rounded on him.

"He made a call." He shouted

"It was the wrong damn call!"

They continued to argue, Janis pulled her bat up, on guard at the noise the group was making. Sophia started to cry as Carol comforted her, turning away from the looming building, back to the cars.

"Daryl, come on, we gotta go. Glenn move your butt." Janis was already nearing the truck when the shutters started to lift, the blinding glow lighting up the survivors. She stopped dead in her tracks, turning to watch as it lifted all the way to the ceiling, squinting to try and glimpse some sign of movement inside.

She jogged back towards the building, dodging bodies as she ran. Coming up next to Glenn he looked at her, an uneasy smile resting on his face as the light shone across them.

As a group they filed into the CDC, its lobby becoming more than just a glowing beacon as they entered it. The building was huge, their voices echoed, magnifying them. The sound of a shotgun cocking echoed as well.

"Hello?" Rick called, the canevrous lobby throwing the words back to him

"Anybody infected?" A voice called, everyones heads shot up to the man standing ahead of them, walking out from the shadows.

"One of our group was..." Rick said uncertainly, his gun still aimed at the man now standing close to them "He didn't make it."

His hair blonde, his face pockmarked, he wore a grey t-shirt which, Janis marved, was unmarked, making their dirty, grimy clothes look more the dirtier.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Has asked, his gun still raised.

"A chance." Rick started to lower his, the less threatening they appeared the better.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." he sounded wary, but Janis could tell by the way he was already losening the grip on his shot gun that their chances were improving.

"I know."

"You all submit to a blood test...That's the price of admission."

"We can do that." Rick nodded.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now."

Daryl ran past her, Janis followed, keeping close to him as they ran through the graveyard of bodies, once again being careful not to get her boot lodged in someone's ribcage. Grabbing everything she could from Shane's Jeep, not caring who's it was or what it was. Laden with bags she ran back to the CDC, closely followed by Glenn and T-Dog.

"Vi, seal the main entrance." Sure that all the survivors had made it back, swiping a card in what looked like alarm system, speaking into it. "Kill the power up here."

"Rick Grimes." He introduced himself, holding out his hand.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl asked, antognising as always.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself...But you look harmless enough." The doctor said, looking around at the group "Except you, I'll have to keep my eye on you." He was kneeling down directly talking to Carl.

The place looked even bigger than from outside, their trip in the elevator only taking them down further to a huge cavernous laboratory.

Janis wondered across the gangway, leaning across the rail, looking over the space.

"It's huge," she said, Glenn coming up behind her "and there's electricity...bet he has an ipod charger." She said excitedly. Glenn rolled his eyes and turned towards the rest of the group.

"Are we underground?"

"Are you claustrophobic?" The Doctor asked.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." Helpful.

They all had their blood tested, Janis watched as Glenn flinched but stayed silent. She felt weary, their day had been long and the effects of the previous night were starting to set in. Before Janis could get lost in her thoughts Andrea almost fainting pulled her out of them.

"Are you okay?" Jenner asked, supporting her.

"Mmm." She really didn't sound sure as Jacqui rushed forward to help

"She hasn't eaten in days...None of us have." It was the first time Janis realized how long it had actually been, with everything that had happened Janis hadn't felt hungry.

It wasn't long before they were all sat around two of the cafeteria tables, pushed together, the smell of cooking filling the room as they all waited patiently, Jenner refusing help but finally giving in when Carol wouldn't give up.

"It smells so fucking good." Janis said, earning her a look from Lori as Carl giggled.

"Sorry."

"I'm going to set up a swear jar." She joked.

"Me and you gonna be broke girly." Daryl winked at her over the table, earning a laugh from T-Dog.

The food was amazing, Janis felt full after four bites but couldn't stop eating. With the food came wine, which Jenner shared generously, pouring them all large portions, and with the wine came laughter. The whole group dynamic changed as they drank, everyone loosening up, the stresses from their previous day melting away.

Janis laughed as Carl drank the wine, his face scrunched up as the taste hit his tongue. Rick patted him on the back as he choked and Lori seemed pleased.

"Well, just stick to sour pop there, bud." Rick was in good spirits, him, Lori and Carl looked like a proper family, laughing with Carl was tucked between them.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl leaned over, pouring him more wine.

"What?" Glenn and Janis both said in unison, one more terrified than the other.

"Keep drinking, little man...I want to see how red your face can get." He winked at Janis, motioning to fill up her glass as well. She nodded, his arm brushing hers as the wine spilled slightly.

"Glenn's face doesn't get red...more greenish grey."

"Fuck off Jay, or do you want me to tell everyone about the night of mezcal?"

"That's a dollar in the swear jar!" Lori called, as Janis gave Glenn her best evil stare, failing miserably as she laughed at Daryls cocked eyebrow.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Rick said, raising his glass as everyone agreed.

Daryl let out a 'Booyah', at which Janis almost spit out her wine, giggling as Glenn bravely mocked him behind his back, putting on his best scowl as Janis continued to laugh.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc? All the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?" Shane asked, automatically killing the good mood.

"We're celebrating, Shane." Rick had an arm on his shoulder, which he promptly shrugged off, his face serious. "Don't need to do this now."

"Whoa, wait a second...This is why we're here, right? This was your move, supposed to find all the answers." He started his rant, Janis tapped at her wrist, which Glenn spotted and immediately started timing Shane, counting each second on his fingers. "Instead we found him. Found one man, why?" Glenn stopped counting, looking disappointed as his he only held up 8 fingers.

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Andrea asked, she looked sadly at Jenner, as they all realized how long he'd been alone for.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door...They opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave...Why?"

"I just kept working. Hoping to do some good." He said, a long pause of silence following.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man."

Janis carried on drinking, the mood in the room had darkened at the mention of 'opting out'.  
Most of the facility is powered down including housing, so you'll have to make do here.

"Ya ain't comin' for the tour?" Daryl hung back, still holding his crossbow and a bottle of southern Comfort.

"You gonna share the whiskey?"

"Over ma dead body."

"I bet I can make that happen." She followed him down the hallway, as he passed the bottle back to her they caught up to the group.

"The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like." They were walking slowly down a white hallway, each door leading to a bedroom or lab. "There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don't plug in the video games, okay? Or anything that draws power. The same applies If you shower, go easy on the hot water."

"Hot water?" Glenn and Janis asked in unison, their faces lit up just at the idea.

"That's what the man said."

It was ten minutes later when Janis was stepping into the shower, wrapped in a slightly too small towel. Turning the shower on she threw the towel over the top of the curtain. The hot water rained down, each drop more cleansing than the first. Before even attempting to wash anything Janis stood under the heavy stream of water, letting it wash over her, watching as the water fell from her a lot darker than when it started. Finally she remembered Dr. Jenners words about not wasting water. Working the shampoo through her hair, her fingers getting stuck in all the knots.

Once she was done, she felt cleaner than ever. Her hair fell damp around her shoulders and her legs were now smoother than they had been in weeks. Wrapping the towel around herself, not particularly bothered at how short it was, she jumped out of the shower, laughing at the sighs and laughs coming from the other stalls.

Standing in the hallway she was now unsure of where to go. She'd given Glenn her stuff as they passed in the hallway, and had no idea where he'd set up 'home'.

"Glenn?" She called, "You seen him?" She asked Andrea who'd just finished cleaning up. She shook her head, just carried on down the hallway.

"Jay? In here." Glenn had poked his head around a doorway, now fully dressed in clean clothes Janis didn't recognize.

Coming through the door Janis realized Glenn wasn't alone. Daryl sat, stretched out in a reading chair, the bottle of southern comfort still in his hand, now almost empty. Janis looked between the two of them, turning to Glenn to ask about his new found friendship. Not before noticing Daryls eyes playing at the bottom of the towel, he bit his lip before realizing she'd caught him, his face turning red as he abruptly turned away.

"He wanted to keep drinking?" Glenn said unsurely, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Did you find any clothes for me?" She asked, pointedly looking at his fresh t-shirt and shorts.

"Oh, yeah!" Glenn ran towards the bed, grabbing the carefully folded t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Thanks..." Janis looked between the men who were both awkwardly turned away from her "I'll go get changed." She looked to Daryl before she left, feeling somewhat satisfied knowing his eyes were following her out.

The clothes were huge on her but with a few turn ups, a pair of socks she managed to steal from T-Dog and a hair band from Sophia she felt a lot better.

Finding her way back to the room, Daryl was still there, staring moodily into the bottle of Southern Comfort which was now dangerously close to being empty.

"Where's Glenn?" He didn't even look up as he replied to her.

"Gone to get more booze."

"That a good idea?"

"As good as any."

"You holdin' up okay?" She asked, hoping she wouldn't have to bring up Merle but that he'd automatically know what she was referring to.

"Seems fishy."

"Jenner? He took us in, fed us...I'm cleaner than I have been in months. I'm not gonna complain."

"How long ya reckon this is gonna hold up for?"

"Who cares, hit it and quit it right?" At that exact moment Glenn came back.

"WHAT?" Janis was laughing, Daryl shook his head as Glenn stood in the doorway, a bottle of wine in one hand, half a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other.

"Never you mind Glenn...pass the Jack." Before he could say anything else T-Dog and Jacqui were behind him.

"We heard this was the party room?"

"You heard right...only, there's an admission price."

"Oh yeah?" Jacqui asked, her eyebrow raised playfully.

"More drink."

She laughed raising the vodka in her hand, pushing past T-Dog to sit on the bed. Daryl looked gloomier than ever, like he regretted his decision to join Glenn in the first place.

"This place is amazing...I think the pillows are duck feather."

"An upgrade from the cold hard ground and a thin ground mat." Janis laughed as she sat down next to Jacqui on the bed, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Can we talk about something NOT walker related?" T-Dog asked, he was drinking wine straight from the bottle.

"Like...how did you and Glenn meet?" Jacqui turned to Janis, a smile behind her eyes.

"It isn't that interesting."

"Speak for yourself." Glenn said smugly, leaning back on the wall.

"Now, now Glenn, don't start a war you can't win."

"Jay was working in a coffee shop...part time."

"Careful." She raised one eyebrow at Glenn who just laughed. Turning, she saw Daryl, who was no longer looking as miserable as before, but intently listening to the conversation.

"And I had a coffee addiction, and a huge crush on Jay, I went to the coffee shop every day, and spent so much."

"He was an idiot...he had no money and was wasting it all."

"But..."

"But the fact he had no money came up, he was looking for a roomy, my apartment was genuinely shit."

"I thought I'd won the lottery, she moved in and we haven't actually spent a day apart since."

"When did you get together?" T-Dog was smiling, Janis forgot how much guys loved gossip.

"Errmmmm." Glenn was bright red.

"We didn't." Janis answered for him, no need for them to know all the details "Not really anyways."

"Ohhhh girl you can't say that then not tell us." Janis mimed zipping her lips closed, throwing the key to Glenn who promptly caught it and pretending to put it in his pocket.

"Wait...you two ain't...huh?" T-Dogs slightly slurred words came out louder than ever as Janis laughed and shook her head.

"I was gonna say...you were batting waaaaay above your average kiddo." This made Janis laugh more, smiling smugly at Glenn who just shook his head.

"What did you say about being careful Jay?"

"Glenn is like the little brother I never had."

"Little?"

"He's two years younger."

"A fact she literally never lets me forget."

"It's weird...we've all been with each other for months, I have no idea how old anyone is...their surnames, nothing." Janis nodded in agreement.

"How old do you think I am?" T-Dog asked.

"32?" Janis got in there first, she loved stuff like this.

"33." Glenn stared at her, his 'game face' on.

"35" Daryl said quietly from his chair.

"DING DING DING!" T-Dog shouted, raising his bottle to Daryl who drank more in response.

"Ah man...do me!" Glenn shouted, eliciting laughter from the room.

"You can't be more than...25?" Jacqui guessed, studying his face, Glenn said nothing.

"I think you're..."

"You aren't allowed to guess Jay."

"29." Daryl again.

"How the fuck are you doing this? Are you a carny? Did you used to do this for a living?"

"That's a good one, you all know I delivered pizzas..Jacqui you were a town planner right?" She nodded "Jay was a barista."

"Part time." Daryl added, staring at Janis, who stared straight back.

"I think Daryl worked on cars...something with his hands." Janis guessed, Jacqui and T-Dog were nodding along.

"I ain't tellin'."

"Drug dealer." Glenn guessed, his laughter stopping with one look from Daryl.

They carried on like that, talking about nothing really but managing to fill the silences easily. Janis felt safe, happy and warm, three things that had eluded her for so many sleepless nights. As she leaned back on the bed she could feel herself getting drowsy.

"I'm headin' to bed...ya gonna be okay Glenn?" T-Dog asked, as Glenn slumped further on the wall.

"Fine...I'm fine." Jacqui followed him out, not before helping Glenn into the now vacant settee T-Dog had left. Covering him with the throw from the bed.

"Ya okay there?" Daryl asked, getting up, standing over Janis.

"Mmhm." She stretched on the bed "So...you were a drug dealer?"

Daryl smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, staring down at her.

"What did you do the other half of the time?" Janis held out her arm, Daryl complied, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up in one swift motion. Alcohol obviously made Daryl more confident, as he pulled her up she was inline with him, her body pressed against his.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Their faves now dangerously close.

He was still looking down at her, Janis wasn't short, but Daryl always managed to stand tall against her.

"Get some sleep kiddo."

"We never did guess your age..." She swayed where she stood, as Daryl backed towards the door, his eyes still on her.

"Guess."

"38?"

He didn't answer, but smiled, a real smile that pulled up slightly more on one side.

He left the room, turning off the light as he did. Leaving Janis stood, in the dark at the side of her bed, staring at the door handle.

"Get a room...jeez."

Janis threw a pillow in what she guessed was Glenn's general direction. Satisfied when she heard the groaning which told her she'd met her target.


End file.
